


Less Than

by countrysundae



Series: Ancient Hybrid Series [3]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Hybrid Series, I love Father! Shownu so much, ancient hybrid series, monsta x ancient hybrid series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 15:44:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17286884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countrysundae/pseuds/countrysundae
Summary: "He takes off like a rocket, body gliding through the waving water, he was about to throw up as he reaches the shore closest to his house, springing forth, breaching the water. Hyunwoo zooms up the hill, pausing in front of his house, as he the bulgasari stops in its tracks, thunderously toward the wooden hut of Hyunwoo’s home. The large beast swings its trunk of a nose around in the air, searching for something, a smell of a human probably. Hyunwoo hopes that his home was concealing her scent."





	Less Than

“Daddy, why are you always glowing?” Hyunwoo looks down at his seven-year-old adopted child, clinging to his short pant leg, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes. He smiles at down at her, eyes becoming crescent moons, disappearing from view as he looks at her with an affectionate gaze. She always knew how to tug on his tender heartstrings, melting him into a giant softie. Some might even say, a life-sized teddy bear. 

Too bad he was a cold-blooded, scaly beast, something you only read about in fairy tales instead of a furry, plush doll. 

“I’m not of this world, my child.” He pets the top of her head, smoothing her wild strands from playing earlier down, unhinging them from the air where they were stood at attention. “You know that.” She grins up at him with the knowledge he’s told her several times in her short few years on this planet. “I glow when I am happy and I glow when I am sad.” He leans down to eye level with his darling of a daughter, eyes brimmed with questions that Hyunwoo had most of the answers from his immortal existence lined up for her. “And,” He raises his arms, slowly, going in for the kill. “I glow when I get to tickle you!” She shrieks, rolling onto her back as Hyunwoo lightly uses his large fingers to flutter on her little stomach. 

She giggles and laughs, legs kicking wildly, tears coming to the sides of her eyes, “No more!” She says finally after a few moments and Hyunwoo complies, ceasing his movements as she laughs more on the ground of the little shack. He lays next to her, propped up on his elbow to watch her ask about trees. The summer sea breeze wafting through the house, the sun saying goodbye for the day on the horizon. Hyunwoo tells her that humans need air to breathe to live. She nods though Hyunwoo is unsure if she actually understands the concept of being alive or not. She’s a smart girl though, so, Hyunwoo knows that eventually, she’ll get it. 

She always does. 

He watches her round face blabber on about how she wants a kitten or a puppy for her birthday as her lashes flutter with the promise of sleep on its way to her soon. 

“Time for bed.” He says as she makes a little pouting sound, not really protesting the soft futon in her room that was beckoning her to come rest for the night between the covers. Hyunwoo should really brush her teeth and change her clothes into her pajamas, but, he feels bad. His human child is so sleepy, he didn’t want to disturb her or make her riled up with rousing her. He lifts her with ease, golden biceps barely flexing with how light she was. “Here we go.” He says as he lays her gently in between her blankets. She doesn’t stir, doesn’t even bat those big curious eyes up at him as he watches her frame slotted between the sheets rise and fall with her breathing. 

The kid was out. He didn’t know how humans did it. Especially single parents. She seemed to have boundless energy. Finally, he thinks as he lays down on the hardwood next to her, a personal nightlight, glowing dimly in the darkening room, finally, he could sleep too.

—————

That night Hyunwoo dreamt about the first day she had arrived. Or rather, was abandoned at his doorstep overlooking the sea in the middle of the day on a warm summer's day. 

Hyunwoo was in his concealed form - his human form - doing his daily chores as well patrolling the beach on foot, the sea in his serpent form, and making sure the mountains of the little island did not have what he was looking for anywhere hidden. 

Yeouiju.

A yeouiju. (A philosopher's stone made up of the souls of scholars, kings, and brilliant, kind people.) Which means he could become a full-blown imugi (Korean dragon), being able to hold the ball firm in his hands, swallowing the knowledge of creation, death, God’s, and all sorts of things into this world. He had only seen a yeouiju once, decades ago now that he thinks about it. The little glowing white and blue ball, the size of a baseball, escaped his grasp once, being eaten by another half dragon-like Hyunwoo was. It granted him the ability to become a shining beacon of gold instead of the dull shine the lesser dragons had. Like Hyunwoo. This dragon became his full size, sporting a longer tail, beard, horns, and claws in the process, granting him the god-like status Hyunwoo laid awake thinking about at night. 

His thoughts of becoming more, becoming a beautiful, glittering god consumed his mind as well as the depths of his soul. 

He wanted to shine bright, teach humans about the world, invent new technology for them to use. He is so consumed with finding the ball and trying to claim honor for himself he doesn’t try these things without the yeouiju. He needs it. He senses it. It’s been close for a few weeks now, Hyunwoo knows that if he keeps up with it, he I’ll surely find what he is so desperate to sink his teeth into. 

He is pulled away from these fleeting thoughts returning from the mountains by a small wooden crate filled with blankets at the front of his wooden door overlooking the coast. 

Now, that’s odd. Hyunwoo thinks as he approaches the box with caution, though usually not one to be scared or back away from a challenge. He couldn’t die, especially by human hands. It was unrealistic to think that Hyunwoo would be frightened of the contents of the box as he peers over the side of the wooden enclosure, having walked up the small path by his house now. 

His cold, unbeaten heart would burst out of his scaly skin if he’d let it at this point. 

He finds more blankets as he eyes the box with narrowed golden slits, he sticks out his tongue to test the air for any signs of danger. Nothing. He reaches his hand the box and to his surprise, his large palms come in contact with human flesh. It then stirs but doesn’t fuss about as his mouth drops open in shock. 

A baby?

A human baby to top it off. 

Was this an offering? He runs a hand through his silky brown locks. The humans on this island feared him because of his glowing and pooling golden eyes. Even in his concealed form, he couldn’t hide who he was. A lesser dragon. The humans would often place extra fruits and grains from their harvest at his door in an attempt to please the immortal creature. He took them, never knowing if it was one human or the whole village who did indeed attempt to sate Hyunwoo. Not that he ever bothered with them. They were fickle and vulnerable creatures. Something Hyunwoo was not. 

He hears the blasts of a cannon, loud shouts ringing out in the afternoon air by the bay suddenly. He sees it now. Smoke and fire billowing from the town below him. The shouts and murderous cries of the people below were sickening to Hyunwoo’s immortal stomach of steel. He looks down at the sleeping baby. Its mother must have put it here for safety. To keep it alive. Probably the same person that was giving Hyunwoo extra food. He opens his door, making sure the baby is comfortably sleeping in the box still before he runs out of his home, down the grassy and sandy hill. He transforms into a mustard yellow color serpent when he reaches the water, deserting his clothes along the way. He needed to check out what was happening. Who was here on this peaceful island, disturbing the entire structure of the human people. 

Hyunwoo snakes through the cool sea water silently, coming up to the boat in his lesser dragon form, peeking his snout out of the water. What he finds is gut-wrenching.

Men on giant wooden warships were pillaging, raping, killing, and taking from the peaceful village of island dwellers who Hyunwoo has lived most of his existence besides. The god-fearing men even had the power to control several lumbering bulgasari (iron-eating monsters that have needles for fur and body of a bear, nose of an elephant, tail of a cow, and legs/claws of a tiger), who were running rampant and eating any metal or ore they could get their claws on. Hyunwoo watches on with bated breath, wondering what he could do to stop the onslaught of vile destruction they had inflicted on the small town. Hyunwoo floated in the waves for a minute. He knew when to pick and choose his battles. Even though he wanted to rush in and protect the last remaining survivors he could hear screaming for help, he couldn’t will himself to move forward in the water. He was immortal, he aged very slowly, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t feel pain. The bulgasari gnawing and gnashing around the burning town terrified Hyunwoo. Bulgasari are not usually ones to be on the same playing field as humans. Hyunwoo supposes that the giant beasts were only with the humans out of convenience rather than necessity. He did not want his insides and guts to be shredded like the man one was chewing on with vigor as it runs through a wooden house, painting its face red, dripping down the sides of it’s extended teeth.

As someone shouts a single, lone bulgasari races up the grassy hill path towards Hyunwoo’s small single home on the command to look for anyone else on this pathetic island by a man wearing a giant black hat. 

Hyunwoo’s twisting stomach flips as he remembers he has a human baby sound asleep in his little shack overlooking the entire island practically. 

He takes off like a rocket, body gliding through the waving water, he was about to throw up as he reaches the shore closest to his house, springing forth, breaching the water. Hyunwoo zooms up the hill, pausing in front of his house, as he the bulgasari stops in its tracks, thunderously toward the wooden hut of Hyunwoo’s home. The large beast swings its trunk of a nose around in the air, searching for something, a smell of a human probably. Hyunwoo hopes that his home was concealing her scent. 

“Serpent.” The Bulgasari bellows, the low sound being produced by his throat. “What do you what?” It sneers at Hyunwoo who is wiggling defensively in front of his home back and forth. 

Time to pick this battle to fight he thinks as he takes a deep breath and hissed, “Leave, iron eater. This is my home and you are not welcome here.” 

The bulgasari lifts its trunk at Hyunwoo’s words, narrowing its red eyes at him. “And what will you do about it if I don’t, snake?” He bites back to Hyunwoo who rears his head back, snapping his fangs at the giant a few times before he starts to drip his green poisonous venom, sliding down from his elongated pearly fangs. 

“Why don’t you find out?” Hyunwoo rumbles, his body set to strike as he can see the needle filled giant step back. A smart bulgasari. He’s had a run in before with an imugi’s venom which immobilizes the victim for decades, turning them into statues, killing humans instantly. The only downside is Hyunwoo has to store his venom, creating enough to actually stun a creature of this size. He hopes the bulgasari doesn’t know that and it’s only known to the species of the imugi and dragons. An invisible call is heard as the bulgasari tilts its head away from Hyunwoo to hear what was being said. The bulgasari backs up until it turns away from Hyunwoo completely, lumbering back in the direction in which it came. Hyunwoo stays defensive, not wanting to fall for any tricks these vile creatures could have hidden up their sleeves. The giants board after the humans and sail away as the village below remains on fire, smoke billowing up into the air. 

Hyunwoo slowly melts back into his human form, naked and worried about the child inside. He bursts through the door and sees her still asleep in her little box. What a peaceful human, he thinks as he leaves his home once more to search the village for survivors. 

\-----------

“Daddy!” Hyunwoo is awakened the next morning to his curious seven-year-old pouncing on his chest. “Let’s go! The sun is up!” She giggles as he groans. She was early to sleep early to rise, child, he’s learned. When the sun sets she’s out and when the first peep of light comes over the horizon she wakes. She does keep him on schedule, though, now that she can walk and talk with Hyunwoo when he visits his places in the mornings. Though he doesn’t transform in front of her. He’s worried she would be frightened of him, that she would not view him the same. Though he did constantly glow and she was mildly okay with that. 

“Okay, okay.” He says as he catches her by the waist as he stands. “What do you want for breakfast?” He asks as he travels with her giggling in his grasp. He really needs her to shower and brush her teeth, but it will wait until after getting food into her small body. 

“Pancakes.” She says seriously as she wiggles from his grasp and starts to make the table for both of them. He smiles as he mixes the batter together, she was such a good girl. He couldn’t have asked for a better child to protect and raise. She was growing up just fine. 

Even though Hyunwoo doesn’t exactly know what he is doing most of the time, he’s managed to raise her on his own without the help of humans. Not that he’s seen hide nor hair of them for seven years as no new ones have explored the sea around him. That was fine for Hyunwoo. More room and time for his child. Just Hope and himself. 

Hyunwoo at first didn’t know what to call her. He wasn’t the best at being attached to someone at all. Lesser dragons are solitary creatures, only seeking out the other when the time came to procreate. He’s only been down that path once and it was enough for him. He honestly didn’t give her a name until she was about a year old. He flipped between many different ones before settling on one he liked and that fit her. 

Hope. 

It was fitting, Hyunwoo felt like at least. Hope of a new day, the hope of a new life, the hope of a new start with her in his life. He had accepted her into his home, his daily routine and into his cold-blooded heart. Hope was his new life of being a bonafide father, a distraction from the thoughts consuming his mind at all times of the day. 

Hyunwoo’s whole world was Hope. 

\----------

He takes her to the sea, the mountains, hand in hand, strolling and talking about the different plants and animals, feeling content with the daily routine of giving her a lesson on the island. He’s told her many times what he was looking for. A yeouiju. He’s told her the description many times, hoping that if in the off chance he didn’t see the fleeting ball of glowing blue and white, she would.

He knows that the locals had a thing called ‘school’ and the kids would learn basics there, and he felt slightly guilty about not giving her a proper education. Though, he’s lived on this world long enough know that not everything the humans teach is true. He teaches Hope about all the religions forming around the world and what people worship, what it was like when asteroids fell from the sky, who discovered new places firstly and who claims them falsely. Hyunwoo isn’t sure her brain could handle all the serious stuff he explains to her or not, but, Hope was brilliant and observant- way more than he ever was at that age. She takes in everything, brain absorbing everything he’s told her like a sponge. Her little doll eyes are curious when he explains what plants were safe to eat and which ones weren’t, where she should drink water from in the stream, and how to start a fire without him being there. Just in case something were to happen. Which it wasn’t. Hyunwoo would actually die before anything was to happen to her. Not mention, he was normally glued to her side twenty-four seven. 

They are just about to go home, the house sat on top of the tall grassy hill when Hyunwoo senses it. His little hairs on his body stand erect, an icy feeling shot through his cold-blooded body. Something was wrong. Hyunwoo stops abruptly in his tracks as Hope takes a step forward, still holding Hyunwoo’s hand. “Daddy?” She questions him, looking back with a concerned expression. He presses a finger to his lips with his free hand, brows furrowed, listening hard to what was beyond the roaring waves and wind in the grass. He gets a sickly feeling, one he gets about every few years or so. This feeling, this twisting, vomit inducing feeling is one that he cannot stand. It was like gasoline or the worst alcohol was being forced down his throat, igniting in his stomach were it threatened to make him explode. Which meant he was coming. He was approaching Hyunwoo once more after such a long time. 

Danger. They were in danger.

Hyunwoo sweats nervously, stood so close to his home, not being able to escape the feeling of dread that had taken over his concealed form. He looks down at Hope as Hyunwoo was panicking now. Where would he hide her? Where would he place her? He could take care of himself, but he could not carry her, for he would need to be an imugi and have arms to do that. 

As Hyunwoo was thinking externally, Hope catches a glimpse of a figure clad all in back perched on a tree behind her father, smug smirk on his puffy lips. Her eyes widen, little mouth dropping open in shock to see the giant, fluffy black wings behind him. He flutters them once, sending a gust her way. Hyunwoo snaps his head around at the sound and the feeling of the extra gust of wind coming from behind him. 

Fuck. Oh no. Fuck. Hyunwoo panics as he pulls Hope back towards him, placing a hand on her shoulder firmly. He inhales as he spins around to face the three-legged crow again for his millennia of warning that he was damned to serve. 

The black samjoko of the world- Kim Namjoon. 

“Hey, Hyunwoo.” He narrows his dark slits in Hyunwoo’s direction, giving him his best shit-eating grin in the process. 

“Hello, Namjoon.” Hyunwoo muses out, hopefully, his acting was better than he thinks it is. “Has it been that long already?” Hyunwoo asks with a chuckle, a small sparkle in his eye, as the birdman continues to smile down at the pair from his roost in a tall pine tree. 

“It has, snake. It has.” He chuckles, pushing off the limb to float down to the ground, being level with Hyunwoo and Hope now with only a few flaps of his wings behind him. 

Hyunwoo forces a small smile. “When will it be?” He tightens his grip on Hopes' shoulder as she quietly watches the exchange happen between the men. 

“In two days time.” He continues his saunter towards the both of them, a greasy smirk on his lips, dimples carving through the flesh of his cheeks, eyes set with mild enthusiasm, making him look exactly like he is- the harbinger of the eclipse. Some might even say death. He stops a few feet in front of Hyunwoo and Hope, shoving the one hand he had actually had in his pocket. “It’s going to be a big one this year.” He explains as his eyes flicker to Hope’s tiny frame. “I didn’t take you for a family man, Hyunwoo!” The samjoko chuckles darkly, looking down at her, burning a hole through her forehead.

“She was the only survivor here, Namjoon. You know what happened.” He frowns, looking at the three-legged crow with tired eyes. Usually, he just tells Hyunwoo when the all-day eclipse would be and to prepare for all the creatures of fairy tales of old to roam free and not concealed for one day. 

“I do indeed.” He leans down, being eye level with her now. Those cold, dark eyes were staring at her with fire. It made Hyunwoo’s already burning stomach become full of white-hot flames of anger. “What’s your name?” He asks her as Hyunwoo stiffens. 

“Faith.” She says confidently and Hyunwoo swears he has raised the next child prodigy, the smartest kid in the whole world. “How do you do?” She asks with an arm raised, being the polite, charming seven-year-old he’s raised her to be. 

Namjoon’s gaze flickers up to Hyunwoo for a second with an unrecognizable expression before he shakes his head, sticking his only hand out for her little fingers to shake. “Color me impressed, Hyunwoo.” He snickers as he pulls his torso up, fluffing his wide feathers behind him. “You’ve done well with her!” He says as he eyes the lesser dragon with wild eyes once more. “You should teach all the human children to act in this world.” Namjoon snickers as he watches Hyunwoo with those rough, dark orbs once more. “Well, see you both at the eclipse!” He says as he pulls off the ground with his black silken feathers, flying away into the summer sky to warn the next set of otherworldly beings. 

Hyunwoo realizes a breath has been holding, the grip on Hope’s shoulder dissolving as the fire in his core dies with the samjoko no longer in sight. He leans over to hug her, picking her up in the process, and walking back to the shack on the hill. 

“You are so smart, Hopie!” Hyunwoo almost starts crying from how she understood the situation right away. He takes them into the kitchen as he sits her at her seat at the wooden table, kneeling in front of her to look at him with a big smile plastered across her round face. “You protected yourself! Just like I told you to!” He says, poking her nose as he giggles. 

She brushes his hand away with her small paws saying, “You taught me to give people who weren’t like me a different name because you said, daddy, that they might want to harm me.” He swears if he could glow brighter, he would be her little words. My, was she a smart cookie or what? She really retained everything Hyunwoo would say to her huh? 

He shakes his head up and down in agreement with her. “And you did a fine job!” He compliments her as she swings her feet on top of the chair. 

“Daddy,” She asks as Hyunwoo stands, he was ready to retire for the evening, making dinner for the both of them, the sun slowly climbing down the darkening sky.

“Yes, Hopie?” He asks her as she twists her face in thought, looking away from him for a moment before looking back to him. “Who was that?” 

He should have expected this, she asked way too many questions, she wanted the knowledge of the universe, like Hyunwoo himself had. There was something, though, he just didn’t have the answer for, not really even knowing for himself. “Ah.” He says as he washes his hands, dinner more on his mind now than the story of Namjoon. And how could he explain this in a way she’d understand? Ah, of course! A fairy tale.

“Long ago,” He says as he takes out some noodles and vegetables from his stock cabinet. “Many moons before I was born, there was a god of creation and destruction who had two sons.” He started to rinse and wash all the food items, carefully picking his words with his daughter. “They both were very competitive, trying to outdo each other at every turn. Their father was getting older and wanted his sons to take over ruling his duties here on earth, retiring to the heavens so each of his sons would rule the day and the night.” He starts chopping and boiling their dinner as Hope starts to set the table for him. “The brothers decided to have a game to see who would rule the sun and who would rule the moon. The brothers decided whoever could keep wake a sleeping tiger and not lose a limb from it would be the winner.” Hyunwoo pauses as he concentrates on getting everything cooked evenly. “The first brother passed with flying colors, waking a tiger with a long stick from behind and running as if he had clouds attached to his feet. The second brother, however, ended up losing his arm in the process. The winner would rule the day and the loser would rule the night. The winner is named Kim Seokjin with wings of white rather than black. He felt bad for his brother, never receiving praise or adoration because of everyone sleeps at night, so, Seokjin decided to let his brother have one day every few years where the sun would disappear from the sky completely, letting the loser have a whole day to himself and all the other creatures of the night. The loser, Seokjin’s brother, is Kim Namjoon, the one we met today. They call him the three-legged crow because he only has three limbs and his feathers are as black as the night sky.” 

Hyunwoo sets the steaming bowls of dinner on the table as he looks at her sat right next to him. She studies his face for a brief moment, taking in the story before she starts to dig into want he’s placed upon her plate. “What do you think?” Hyunwoo asks her with a small smile. 

“More salt?” She says in response and Hyunwoo can’t help but let out a hearty, chest heaving chuckle. 

“No, no, Hope,” he says, whipping a tear from his eye. “About the story?” He watches her as she chews her small bite. 

“I think…” she trails off, really focusing on what she was going to tell her father. “That I would really like to meet the brother and ask him how he outran a tiger!” She remarks as Hyunwoo chuckles again, scooping up some of his mixture of noodles and vegetables with his own fork. 

They finish eating in comfortable silence, sleep was on the horizon for the both of them as they both change and brush their teeth at separate times, flip-flopping the areas of the house they were with one another. Hope comes into her room with her favorite bunny PJs on, yawning and rubbing her face in the process. Hyunwoo was waiting for her, pulling up his own futon for the promise of sleep on the warm summer day becoming a reality. 

“Goodnight Hopie.” He says as she slips into the dark room and under her covers, guided by the light radiating off her father. 

“Goodnigh…” she sighs as she instantly falls asleep, lids coming to a close as Hyunwoo has one lingering thought before he can close his. 

What was he going to do about the eclipse?

————-

The next two days pass in a blur. 

All he could think about was the impending doom of the all-day eclipse of the sun that would swallow the light for a day. He wasn’t sure if he would just not go, or if he should go, would he bring Hope with him? If he didn’t go, otherworldly beings might come to the island to see what was wrong, why Hyunwoo wasn’t at the gathering. If he left Hope here, a creature or beast might try to hurt her. He was glad he didn’t have to worry about humans on the island at the moment. Even though she was masked almost completely by Hyunwoo’s scent, she still had the underlying, lingering odor that humans just possessed. There were too many pros and cons to this whole mess and he just wished she wasn’t so...human. Everyone there would want to kill her or eat her. That is just the name of game for creatures of the night, grim evil beasts of fairy tales. He’s pretty sure that she would be pretty scared, not to mention very curious about so many things there and he really didn’t want to be talking to her too much as to not draw attention to the both of them. 

The different scenarios fly around in his never-ending thoughts the night before the eclipse is set to happen. That means the sun will rise, but once it’s fully over the horizon the black samjoko would snuff out the sun. He’s told her this and prepared her for these monsters of the night, deciding she would go with him, that the monsters were all were not like Hyunwoo, that were not like daddy, that they would indeed aim to hurt her for no reason other than that’s what they do. They couldn’t help or stop being themselves either. It’s yin and yang, a push and pull situation. He was sure she was not understanding any of this as he explained the different beasts when tomorrow came. He also instructed her not to talk to anyone, except his friend Kihyun who was a phoenix, Changkyun who was a Haetae, Wonho who was a winged horse, Hyungwon a turtle god, and Jooheon the ancient Dangun tiger man. 

“Do not talk to the fox people.” He gets very serious now, tucking her in before bed. “The giant beasts are scary, but not as scary as these creatures. Especially the fox people. They look cute, but, I fear them the most.”

Hope nods, understanding who was okay to talk to and who indeed was not. Not that she’d recognize them, but Hyunwoo only really went to see them half the time. “Daddy,” She calls as he settles in next to her. He grunts in response, the night light of his body glowing the room around them. “Will the yeouiju be there?” She asks innocently, curious to know if the ball of blue and white would turn up at the otherworldly meeting. 

“No Hopie, I don’t think so.” He says and she sighs wistfully. “Goodnight Hopie.” He says knowing full well he wasn’t going to go to sleep. 

“Goodnight Daddy.” She whispers out. 

\----------

“Don’t stare directly at the sun!” Hyunwoo instructs her as they both walk out the door early in the morning, headed towards the dreaded meeting place for the eclipse. He’s taken extra care and made sure to rub his cheek all over her clothes before she got dressed for the day, black leggings with her favorite pink sparkly skirt over that, wearing her very ‘cool’ zebra and pink striped fancy shirt that said “rock and roll forever” on it with her little jelly sandals covering her feet. She was ready as she fixed a little pink headband in her hair. Hyunwoo dresses in a black muscle shirt and khaki shorts, his usual comfortable attire. Usually, he just goes through the sea portal, coming out of his concealed form for this occasion, but, he couldn’t really do that while he was with her. Humans had to go through the physical portals rather than teleporting anyways. They'd have to through the East Sea’s forest gate, which was a few islands away. Luckily, Hyunwoo did have a little boat that was unscathed by the pillaging many moons ago, so, he placed her in that and began his journey to the very tiny island before the sun was swallowed for the day. 

Once arrived on the sandy shore of the other island, she between asking if she could meet his friends and why water was colored the way it was. There were so many other things concerning him besides the trivial matter of sunlight filtering through the waves right now. He made sure the boat was at the edge of the forest so it would not get washed out to sea. Hyunwoo was so worried he was making a mistake. Parenting hard never been this hard for him. He wasn’t sure if he was going to internally combust or not. He brings her to the middle of the forest, an empty clearing in the middle of the island. He says a few ancient words quickly as the gate to the other side of the world opens up, black and swirling vortex hanging in the air around the pair. 

“You ready?” Hyunwoo says, voice wavering a little bit from his nerves. He looks down at her as she raises her hand up for him to hold on to. 

“I’m ready daddy.” She nods confidently and he could feel his cold-blooded heart swell with life for his little girl. 

“Hold your breath before you enter okay?” Hyunwoo takes a step forward into the black swirling vortex, Hope sucks in a deep breath. “When you are on the other side you can release it and breathe normally.” His glowing light the way around the both of them, as Hyunwoo and Hope are fully through to the other side as it snaps shut. She lets go of the air she was holding, eyes growing wide as she is greeted with the sights of the brightly colored festival lights and lanterns leading the way to the middle of the world. “Don’t let go of me, okay?” He reminds his daughter as she just nods. 

They walk along the lit pathway, not running into another soul- immortal or mortal- as they continue their journey through the otherside of the world. He explains why they gather which is like a celebration of sorts- a party if you will. They all basically mingle for a day, then go back to their lives in the real world or the other side. Hyunwoo feels it then, the twisting and intense feeling of worry he knows will come to claim his insides. The icy, chilly feeling he gets whenever he’s around creatures from nightmares like himself. They were almost there. The meeting ground. 

The eclipse has begun. 

Bul-gae (black dogs that were on fire) chased away the sun fully, running through the path next to Hyunwoo and Hope. “Welcome dragon and guest!” They barked loud, echoing in the seemingly endless pit of darkness they were walking through. “Welcome!” They said as they ran up the steps now through another path lined with tall white pillars. “Welcome!” They shout again as Hyunwoo lifts Hope bridal style, knowing these steps were steep and might be too much for her little jelly sandals to bear. 

“Daddy.” She says, looking at the dogs a few feet ahead of him. “Are they going to be okay? They are on fire.” She says so seriously as Hyunwoo grunts. 

“Yes angel, they are on fire all the time. Like how I glow all the time. They are not hurting or in pain, I promise.” Hyunwoo says as he reaches the top of the white steps, setting her down to grab her little hand in his once more. 

“Hyunwoooooo!!!!!” He hears the taunting calls of his favorite winged horse call to him as he enters the middle of the streets of the otherside. The giant pearly horse floats down to the side of Hyunwoo, a human female on his back. She slides off his back as Hyunwoo gives Wonho an incredulous look. 

“Did you color mane?” Hyunwoo asks with a chuckle as the girl on his back turns to face them with a shy smile, Wonho morphs into a concealed human, wrapping himself up in a toga quickly before he was fully back to being concealed, wings on his back a glossy white, tipped in electric blue color. 

“My girl, _____ colored it for me.” He grins wide as he pulls the girl next to him firmly. She waves with a blush of red coloring her cheeks as Hyunwoo greets her. Wonho’s eyes flicker to the small human Hyunwoo was attached to at the moment. “Oh!” He leans down with a giant smile plastered across his face. “Who is this?”

“This is one of daddy’s friends, angel.” He says calming her nerves, grip on his hand relaxing. “This is Wonho a chollima, a winged horse,” Hyunwoo explains as she hits out her free hand for him to shake. 

“My name is Faith.” She says with a small smile. “How do you do?” She asks as Wonho tips his head back and laughs at his daughter. 

“Hyunwoo! Is this your daughter Kihyun was telling me about?” He shakes her hand lightly, his biceps flexing with his motions, giant smile spread on his face. 

Hyunwoo nods and grunts. “Yes, with is my Faith.” He says proudly as more and more creatures of the night come into the town's center. 

“Talking about me?” A flash of red appears as Kihyun blooms in a fiery, crackling red flame, as if on cue, to the other side of the group. “I’m flattered Wonho, that you even remember who I am.” He smirks as he adjusts his designer clothes. Wonho just laughs and slaps him on his back with his palm several times as Kihyun shoots his friend a threatening glare, flapping his red ones around him a few times. “Oh hello again!” He smiles at Hope now, sticking his hand out for her to shake, she takes it and gives her little spiel. “I’m Kihyun, your dad’s friend. I met you when you were very tiny, you probably don’t remember me.” He says as Changkyun enters the group, horn glowing faintly on his forehead. Kihyun lived the closest to Hyunwoo, their islands not very far apart from each other. The birdman stops to see Hyunwoo every time he goes more south for the winter. 

She shakes her head no as everyone in the group is introduced and such. “Are you a unicorn?” Hope asks Changkyun and everyone cracks a smile at her innocence. 

“No, I am what I am- which is a Haetae! A mean and vicious creature from the otherside!” He bellows in his deep voice as she laughs. 

“You don’t seem mean!” She pokes his arm with her free hand. 

“Trust me, he’s not.” The slow, rhythmic voice of one of the great four gods chuckles out, sauntering up to the group. The black turtle god, tall and lanky Hyungwon. The four of them bow to the greater deity in their presence, the older female Wonho brought with him does the same. Hope stares at him affectionately, Hyunwoo bows to the woman in traditional robes walking behind him, bowing deeply to her as well. She bows back, her eyes softening as she sees the little girl in their midst. She crouched to her knees and creates a pink flower in the palm of her hand for Hope. Her eyes were sparkling and shining as she stared at the beautiful woman in front of her. 

“Are you a princess?” Hope whispers out, as she gingerly accepts the creation she's been gifted. Hyungwon slowly turns to face his bride with a soft smile on his lips as she cracks a giant smile on her red lips.

“I am, technically, yes.” She whispers back to Hope as Hyunwoo bows to her again as she stands, traditional robes fluttering around her. The Prince and princess of the south continue to greet the group, leaving them to go greet the other creatures of the festival. 

“He’s a lucky guy!” Changkyun wistfully sighs out looking at the pair longingly. 

“No partners for you both today?” Hyunwoo asks the two without their females in question, raising an eyebrow as they walk towards the stand with the freshest mangos. He hands the faceless ghost some money as Hope’s grip tightens in his palm. He lightly squeezes back, alerting her that she would, in fact, be okay with him by her side. “And where is our furry striped friend?” Hyunwoo asks about the holang-i that was nowhere to be seen. 

“No.” Kihyun sighs, getting some fruit of his own. “She is actually running the show for me today, a big project in Dubai!” He exclaims with a wide smile, thinking about his lover. “She wanted to come, but I’d rather she be safe and sound on earth.” He takes a seat at a community picnic table in the food court section as Wonho gets too much meat, fruit, drinks for everyone to share. “Apparently, Heonie found himself a girl he’s given up his immortality for, so, he’s not able to cross anymore.” 

Everyone nods their heads in approval at the good news of the missing tiger-man. 

“And mine is….probably back home, studying law, probably.” Changkyun puts his face in his clawed hands. “I miss her. I haven’t seen her since…” His gaze flickers down and becomes hard his jaw clenching. Hope starts to munch on all the treats of the other side, Hyunwoo was so happy she wasn’t a picky eater as she chews and tastes all the food from his world. 

“Since you wouldn’t let me have a taste of her?” Came that low gravelly tone from behind where Hyunwoo was sat. He pulled Hope next to him tight, cold blood running even icier now as he looked behind him. “Long time no see guys.” Minhyuk, the white nine tailed gumiho, smiles wickedly down the table at the group.

It’s quiet for a moment before Wonho bangs a fist on the table, standing up and pointing, “You pathetic piece of vile monster shit!” His girl gasps and stares up at him with a shocked expression. “You can’t just go around trying to eat everyone’s partners!” He yells, a quiet falls upon the food stalls as everyone listens on, creatures of the night wondering what is wrong and why a chollima, of all creatures, was creating a fuss.

Minhyuk just continues to smirk at everyone, mischievous glint in his yellow eyes. “Why not?” He asks as he reaches his claws towards Wonho’s human as the winged horseman lunges for the fox, knocking him down in a fit of snarls. Kihyun, Changkyun, and Hyunwoo try to break up the two rolling around on the cobblestone path as a crowd gathers to watch and cheer on, adding to the festivals excitement roster. 

Hyunwoo missed the way Hope’s attention was caught by little balls of blue and white, leading away from the scene of the two wrestling for dominance on the ground. Hyunwoo misses how (now that she isn’t attached to him that) she slinks away from the fight to see go towards what she thinks are yeouiju, the thing they look for every day, that her dad was desperate to find. Hyunwoo misses the way she runs out of sight slinking away from the group as she tries to catch the floating blue balls hanging in the air, running up a path, and disappearing into a deserted forest. 

———

“FAIIITHHH!” Hyunwoo bellows, running through the streets of the otherside in a frenzied panic. “FAITH!” His cold blood is boiling. Where was she? Where was she? He doesn’t sense he couldn’t smell her. Where could she possibly be?! Why was he so careless? Such a shitty parent. He begged and pleaded with all the gods to help him find her. The only one that seemed to care was Hyungwon, though, it turned out to be a fruitless effort. The turtle god could only move so fast and his bride wasn’t much any help either. His friends, even Minhyuk (who would have certainly received more than a black eye if it weren’t for Kihyun and Changkyun pulling the bigger of the two off the white fox) was out looking for her. After all the commotion of the fight, Wonho’s human realized that the other tiny human was nowhere to be found. Hyunwoo’s heart snuck, plummeted in his body to the ground. 

Now, he was out here, looking for his beautiful daughter, the light of his life that he had brought here in the notion that she would be safe next to him. He was a failure. A failure as a parent. As a father. As a caregiver. His mind flashes back to the day he first met her, protected her, her first step, her first booboo, her first words, her curious questions and stare and how he was going to lose that because he was careless and wasn’t watching her. She wasn’t one to normally stray or disrespect his wishes. No. Someone had to have taken her or lured are away from him. 

“FAITH!” He bellows again as Kihyun and Wonho fly overhead, Changkyun and Minhyuk running with him on foot to see if they see or smell her. Hyungwon and his bride and Wonho’s girl were staying in the middle where the festival in case she turned up. “Faith!” He calls again desperately, hoping and praying she was still alive. He should really be in his true form like everyone else, senses full-blown, but, he was terrified, scared. He didn’t want Hope to see him like this. He wanted her to see him as an imugi, a pure and true dragon. God, where was she he thinks as he stops in his tracks. “Has anyone checked the forest?” He asks, knowing they would hear him, even the flying two. 

Changkyun shakes his black hair. “No. Do you think she’s there?” 

“Let’s try it!” Kihyun yells, circling the sky from above. They take off in the opposite direction, to the barren and desolate looking patch of trees that looked incredibly menacing, even to the beings of the otherside. 

They reach the edge of the dried, cracked up ground, a fog had rolled in, making it incredibly difficult to see more than a few feet in front of them. The two in the sky came to land with the three on foot, exchanging knowing glances and nods before taking off into the fog. Changkyun used his magic to light the way, beaming out from his forehead, though, that was only doing so much. Hyunwoo’s own faint glow was not doing much in the thickening fog either. 

“Faith!” They all call out, even Minhyuk, whose eye was darkening with the impact from Wonho’s fist earlier. “Faith!” He was hoping that Hope would respond to her different name, hoping that his Hopie would be here, the last place they’ve looked. They come to a very tall, thick trunk in the middle of the bleached and whitened birch wood forest. “Faith!” They all call again, worry increasing as Hyunwoo’s throat goes dry, his baby hairs stand at attention 

“Daddy!” Hyunwoo focuses in on his daughter’s pleading tone coming from high up on the giant tree. She’s up there, claws on her tiny windpipe as the black samjoko holding her smirks a wicked smirk down at the group of boys. 

“Faith!” Hyunwoo shouts up to her, smiling reassuringly, knowing that she was probably incredibly frightened and nervous, the little one was not keen on heights. 

“Daddy help!” Hyunwoo’s heart was breaking as the only thing he truly cares about in this world was her and her well being. He was doing a poor job of watching out for her. 

“Namjoon!” Wonho calls, stomping his four hooves on the ground and shaking his head in anger. “Give her back!” He goes to take off from the ground. Hope squeals in pain from the tree, his one hand gripping her throat tighter. 

“Ah, ah, ah!” Namjoon tsked at the group of otherworldly boys. “Let’s have a little game shall we?” He clicks his tongue and whistles for someone (or something) to come out of the fog. “Defeat my friend here who is dying to get his hands on you, Hyunwoo, and I shall return your child. If not, I keep her with me for all eternity.” Hyunwoo gulps, cold blood was running in between fire and ice, anger and scared it was what he was truly fearing from the start. Thunderous footsteps erupted from beyond the tree, a loud booming roar is heard as Minhyuk, who has the best eyesight (despite the fact that he has a black eye) takes a step back. 

“Bulgasari!” He shrieks as all the men break from the group in a hurry, splitting up to confuse the beast of night. 

“I’M HERE TO KILL THE LAST HUMAN FROM THE VILLAGE SEVEN YEARS AGO!” The bulgasari trumpets out, snarling and snapping at Changkyun who has assumed his pure form. The haetae was made of scales and cement, knowing that he was safe for now, Hyunwoo watches his daughter with bated breath. The black samjoko watches on at the scene unfolding from above the group with a wide grin on his puffy lips. “WHERE IS THAT SNAKE YOU FUCKING HAETAE?!” The enraged bulgasari roars as Minhyuk sets him up in a blaze of fox fire from under the claws of the iron-eating giant. 

“Oh, fuck off you lumbering oaf!” Changkyun sneers back, smacking his needle clad fur in rebuttal with his giant paw, beaming light rays into the beast's face. 

Then, just then, Hyunwoo sees it. Beyond the red and white flames of the foxfire. Beyond the cracks of the dirt and the fog and the trees. Hyunwoo sees it. His body immediately chases after it. A little ball of blue and white, drawing him in, making him forget the true reason he was in this forest in the first place. 

A yeouiju. 

Hyunwoo runs, runs as fast as he can in his concealed form. Unbothered by everything that’s happening around him. Only worried about eating the yeouiju. Consuming it for gaining knowledge, glory, status, power. Being more powerful than….He looks at the branch on the tree that was housing the perched black samjoko in question. His smirk falls when Namjoon sees where the lesser dragon in question is headed, full speed ahead, towards his prize of the millennia. 

“Stop!” Namjoon calls as the fighting and running around continues, the creatures barely paying the ruler of the night any mind. “Stop!” He tries again, more worried and desperate this time. He tightens his grip on the tiny human he has in his grasp. 

“Daddy!” She sputters, gasping for air, wigging her little feet in weak protest, dangling from the branch. 

Hyunwoo skids to a halt at the strangled cry from his daughter. Kihyun has set the bulgasari on fire from above, the flames shooting out his mouth in a spiral, melting his needle-like flesh from all sides now. Changkyun is relentless, mashing the iron eaters face into the ground with loud profanities and snarls. The yeouiju was so close. Hyunwoo could reach out and take the ball hanging in the air. It was almost taunting Hyunwoo at this point. 

“You take one more step towards that stone and I break her neck in half!” Namjoon rumbles out. The forest is quiet, all but the sounds of the bulgasari groaning out in pain from all the boys have inflicted on the giant creature. “Turn around and no one gets hurt!” He says as Hyunwoo can hear the gasps and gulps she sputtering around in the quiet of the forest air. The little ball of blue and white flickers in and out, signaling it’s time here about to be up before it would move to another location.

“We’ve defeated your friend, that was the deal!” Kihyun chirps up to the three-legged crow. “Let her go!” He yells, tone absolutely angry. Hyunwoo was silently praising the amazing set of monsters he’s made as friends.

Hope gasps loud, struggling to breathe, Hyunwoo was glad he wasn’t witnessing it. He takes a deep breath, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, knowing it was now or really never. The little ball vanishes into thin air and he can practically hear the smug smirk curving up on Namjoon’s lips. He closes his eyes, inhaling deeply once more, and prays Hope won’t be scared, that he can truly aim this far so good, that he won’t miss. 

In the quickest Hyunwoo has ever been in the entirety of his whole life, his whole existence in this world and on earth, he morphs quickly into the lesser dragon form he hasn’t been in years, aiming right toward the middle of his forehead, and shoots his venom quickly at the samjoko. Namjoon brings up his only arm to protect himself, letting go of Hope in the process. She screams shrilly as she plummets to the ground, to her death. Hyunwoo slithers towards his falling daughter quickly, hoping that the chollima who hasn’t been seen in a minute was waiting for his opportunity to be the hero. The venom hits the black three-legged crow the same time Wonho catches Hope, falling on his wide back perfectly. She grips his mane tightly as he brings her back to the ground abruptly. The venom seems to have done the trick, the black haired brother was immobilized on his perch high up on the tree and probably would be for a long while from all the venom Hyunwoo has stored throughout the years. 

“Faith!” Hyunwoo says as he reaches her. All the boys would return to their concealed forms, for the sake of Hope he was sure. “Changkyun, can you make me some clothes please?” Hyunwoo asks and nods his giant snake head to Wonho and himself as well. He beams a pink light at the top of his horn, creating the desired human attire as Kihyun slips his hands over Hope’s eyes, telling her she was very brave to be up there and to trust all of them. She nods but Hyunwoo knows she’s probably in shock still. 

They all dress and Hyunwoo practically trips to see her tiny face. “Faith.” he coos reaching out for her. To his surprise, she holds up a hand for Hyunwoo to stop his approaching hug. His smile falls and his heart sinks as he watches his daughter look at him with sad eyes. 

“Daddy.” She says very seriously. Hyunwoo knots his eyebrows in worry, his golden skin was full of wrinkles from the way he was looking at her, studying her face very well. “Why didn’t you get the yeouiju?” She asks, looking up at him with an incredibly crestfallen expression. 

Hyunwoo blinks at her as he reaches for her once more, this time she happily accepted his hug with open arms. “My darling.” He coos as she starts to hiccup. “I’d rather have you over the stone any day and I’d choose you over it for a thousand lifetimes over and over.” He smoothes the back of her hair as she hiccups and starts to cry into his black muscle shirt Changkyun made for him. 

“I saw!” She cries, tears spilling from her little eye sockets. “I saw the yeouiju!” Hyunwoo smoothes the back of her scalp with his palm. “I tried! I tried to catch it! It kept slipping through my fingers and then the three-legged crow scooped me up and brought me to the tree!” She cries, grabbing the back of the Hyunwoo’s shirt as tight as she can as he shushes he with a gentle tone, telling her she was okay, that Hyunwoo has her and won’t ever let her go again. 

“I brought someone here for you.” The slow drawl of the turtle god- Hyungwon- calls entering the foggy wooded area, snapping the tension that’s been hanging in the air. They all swivel their faces before all bowing deep, falling to the ground on their hands and knees to the dry ground. Hyunwoo motions for Hope to do the same as she wipes her nose on the back of her arm, joining everyone on the dirt. 

A squeaky chuckle is heard as the god of the sun ruffles his white feathers around himself in glee. “Rise!” He says brightly looking at everyone then to his brother mounted on the tree. “My, my, my!” He smiles wide at Hyunwoo who was in the middle of the group, the leader of the whole ordeal on the eclipse. “Looks like you got him!” He says cooly, piecing it all together. “Hyungwon filled me in.” He says crouching down to Hope’s level. “Hello. You’ve had quite the day, huh?” He asks as she nods her head, pink headband falling as the god of light adjusts it for her, righting it to its original position. “My name is Seokjin.” He smiles so warmly at her clad in his traditional robes. “What’s yours?” 

Her little eyes expand with wonder as she realizes who he was. She sticks a little paw out for him to shake. “My name is Faith. How do you do?” He laughs, tilting his back slowly, high pitched tone again, grabbing her hand with both of his. “I have a question for you...uh… sir?” She scrunches up her nose as she thinks for a minute. “How did you outrun the tiger? Are your feet made of clouds?” He goes wide-eyed for a minute before laughing once more and producing a yeouiju out of thin air with the wave of his wrist.

“I like her, Son Hyunwoo. But, I think you need to change your name to Shownu now that you will be an imugi, for I know that you will show the world something on a whole new stage.” Hyunwoo stares at the son of the god of creation with an unhinged jaw as Hope jumps for joy to the side of him. “Enjoy no longer being someone less than. You’ve earned it.” Seokjin beams at him with a handsome smile crossing his lips. 

What started out as a celebration ends as a celebration as Hyunwoo gets to become what he’s always wanted and he gets to have his whole world right by his side.

His world was full of love and Hope and honestly, what more could a dragon need?


End file.
